Two Montrealers with degenerative diseases fighting for improved access to Quebec and Canada’s doctor-assisted dying laws will be in court for the beginning of their hearing today.
Jean Truchon, 49, and Nicole Gladu, 73, suffer from serious health problems that cause persistent and intolerable suffering, according to their lawyer Jean-Pierre Ménard.
But the laws say only people who are facing foreseeable death can receive aid to die. Truchon and Gladu said Canada and Quebec’s laws are too narrow in their criteria and it goes against their Charter rights.
Today, Truchon and Gladu’s cases will begin to be heard in front of a Quebec Superior Court judge. The process is expected to take several weeks.
Federal and provincial lawyers have called 10 expert witnesses and Ménard says he is presenting three.
“The federal [side] is going all out in its defence of our challenge, so we’re going to work hard to target it,” Ménard told Radio-Canada.
The judge’s decision at the end of the hearing could alter how the laws are applied in the province, across the country and, Ménard hopes, improve access to assisted death.
He wants the federal law to reflect criteria outlined by the Supreme Court, which states that granting assisted death should be determined according to a person’s suffering and not how close they are to a natural death.